Finding a Way
by HackedBy2Writers
Summary: Annabeth Chase is a girl struggling through life with an abusive uncle. Percy Jackson is working as a cook at a new restaurant. Annabeth needs money and a way to escape her uncle's abuse. Percy needs to find a way to get his stepfather, Gabe, out of his life. When the two meet, sparks fly. But what will happen if Percy discovers Annabeth's secret? Modern day AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**Read and Review. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**_

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"Annabeth!" I heard my uncle yell. He sounded really angry. Not good.

I barreled down the stairs, wincing as the bruises decided to hurt. I walked into the kitchen to find Uncle Jack glowering at me from across the island in the middle of the room.

Before anything else, I'll give you a little history. My mother left my father when I was a baby. Six years later, he married another woman and they had twins, Matthew and Bobby. My stepmother hated me. She would lock me in my room at night and blame me for every single mishap that went on around the house. The spilled wine, the minuscule rip in the curtains.

My dad never even stood up for me. I ran away when I was seven. I spent a year and a half on the streets, stealing food and clothes and hiding out in abandoned buildings or alleyways. One day, a man found me and asked who my parents were. I told him I didn't have any. He brought me to his house and said to call him Uncle Jack

He seemed so nice the first couple of months. He fed me, bought me clothes, tucked me in at night, and acted like the fatherly figure I craved.

But I should have known that my happiness wouldn't last. Everything began going downhill. If I made the slightest mistake, he would hit me. I tried to run away when I was ten, but he nearly killed me. I sat in the corner the rest of the day, unable to move, all bloody and bruised and in pain.

He often starved me. I was lucky to get a a decent meal once a week.

Now here I am, sixteen years old and still abused. It had become a routine. Wake up in the morning, get a beating. Skip breakfast and head to school. Come home from school, get a beating. Finish my homework, skip dinner, get a beating. Shower, go to bed, repeat.

It kept getting worse and worse. In the beginning, they were just slaps. That gradually became punches and kicks as well, now he's resided to using household objects as weapons. Beer bottles, broomsticks, even his old baseball bat that he tells people is a collectors item.

So, life is terrible. But I'm used to it. This brings us back to the present.

Uncle Jack was glaring at me from behind the island. "Get in here," He growled.

I calmed my nerves and stepped towards him. He slapped my cheek. I clutched it and he grabbed my wrist. He brought his knee up to my stomach. I winced as he hit an old bruise that was just beginning to fade. I was thrown into the wall and kicked in the ribs. I was punched an slapped and helpless. I didn't scream or cry. I was going to be strong. That's one of my strengths. Annabeth Chase does NOT cry.

Uncle Jack pulled me up by my hair. "What is this?" He asked me menacingly. He steered me to look at the countertop where I had left my water glass.

"I… I left my glass on the counter."

He punched me in the stomach. "The heck you did!" Okay, he didn't say heck, but whatever.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Jack. It won't happen again.

"Good. How hard is it, Annabeth, to just do something as simple as put away your glass? First of all, I didn't even say you could have it. Second, you couldn't get off your lazy butt and clean it up!"

I grimaced. Oops.

Uncle Jack dragged me into the living room. He threw me into the wall again and stalked out of the room, giving me a don't-move-or-you're-dead look.

I sat on the ground, catching my breath for a moment. This was the story of my life.

He returned with his trusty baseball bat, hitting his palm with the end of it. I shrunk back, He raised the bat above his head and brought down onto my stomach. He hit my sides and my arms and my legs. "Did you know," he said, "that I was a baseball champ in high school? Best hitter on the team. Of course, I had to give up that dream when I dropped out." He was about to strike me once more but the doorbell rang. He glared at me. "We'll finish this later."

I nodded and hobbled up the stairs to my room. I looked in the mirror and sighed. There were thick, finger shaped bruises on my face and neck, fist marks on my arms, and I didn't even look at my legs. I fumbled around a bit, searching for my makeup. I found it and coated my face with it.

I changed out of my pajamas and into dark blue skinny jeans and a cream colored turtleneck sweater. I brushed my hair and positioned it to cover the part of my neck that peeped out from under my collar. I was glad it was the middle of winter. Now I could wear long clothing to cover everything.

I headed down the stairs and heard my uncle talking to someone.

"No, I don't want to come to the restaurants grand opening!" He said. "It's too expensive!"

I stepped into the hallway to see who had rung the doorbell. What I saw made my breath hitch.

It was a boy around my age, possibly older. He was around six feet tall with messy, raven black hair swept across his forehead. His enchanting sea green eyes were just visible under his hair. His skin, much like mine, was naturally tan. His build was lean, but muscular. A swimmer, maybe?

He looked at me and we made eye contact. Green on gray. The sea and the cloudy sky. He seemed to forget what he was saying and appeared to be catching his breath. He gave me a goofy, lopsided smile. I blushed and returned it with a small but genuine smile. He faced my uncle again and kept talking, but he kept glancing at me and trying to remember what he was saying.

"But sir, if you come to the restaurant, you'll get a discount on your next meal."

"Really?"

"Yes, sir."

Uncle Jack seemed to consider this. "Let me think about it." He began to close the door on the boy but I rushed foreword and held it open. "Uh, Uncle Jack, why don't you go have a drink or something and relax? I'll handle this." My uncle's nostrils flared and he looked about ready to hit me right then and there. However, he just shrugged and gave a phony smile.

"Sure thing, sweetie." He retreated into the kitchen to get some beer.

"Uh, sorry about him," I told the guy in front of me. "He gets in these… moods sometimes." I smiled.

He returned it. "Ah ha. I was just offering a job at that new restaurant opening just down the street from here. I'm going to be a cook there. It's got good pay."

A job opening? I could sure use a job. I love to cook, but even if I was simply waiting on customers I would be happy. Plus, I would be able to get out of the house.

"I'd love to." I blurted. Then I realized he was talking about Uncle Jack. I slapped a hand over my mouth.

The guy laughed. "It's fine, I'm sure my boss would love to have you. I'm Percy, by the way. Percy Jackson."

"Annabeth Chase," I said.

"Annabeth," Percy said. "I like that name. It's got a ring to it."

He was very upfront. I liked that.

I blushed and said, "Thanks, I guess. Yours isn't so bad either."

He smiled. "I haven't seen you around before. Are you new here?"

"Yeah," I said. "We just got here, as you can see." I gestured to the boxes that I still needed to unpack.

"Right. My mom said something about new people. I'm actually in the apartment building right next to yours."

"Neat." I said.

"Yeah. Which school will you be going to?"

I thought for a moment, trying to remember the name. "I think I'm attending… Goode? Yeah, I'll be a junior this year."

Percy's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Awesome, same here!"

"Oh, good," I said, relieved. "I'll actually have a friend there."

"And I'll have a pretty girl with me for the ride." He winked. I blushed for the third time since he had been here.

He smirked. "Well if you're interested in that job, I should probably get your number," He said. "For the boss if he decides to call you, that is."

"Mmhmm," I said. Do you have a pen?"

"Uh, I don't think… oh! Here." Percy handed me a blue pen. I grabbed his arm and scribbled down my cell phone number. His skin was warm. Awkward, I know, but hey. I was totally crushing on this guy.

"For the boss." I smiled and he winked once more.

"See you around, Annabeth Chase." He brought up his hand and I flinched, only to realize he was waving goodbye. He didn't seem to notice, though, so I smiled nervously and waved back.

"See you on Monday, Percy Jackson."

He gave me one last smile and walked away from the door. I closed it gently and slid down it, sighing. I momentarily forgot about the beating I would get later. I had something else to worry about. I was SO crushing on Percy Jackson.

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**Hi! It's me, Rose! Not too bad of a first chapter, I guess. We just needed somewhere to start. What do you think of this? Tell us in a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Read and Review. All rights go to Rick Riordan.**_

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Annabeth Chase. Annabeth Chase. I couldn't get her out of my mind.

When I saw her come down those stairs, it was all I could do not to gape at her.

She was absolutely stunning. Golden blond curls, naturally tanned skin, and… those eyes. Stormy grey and swirling with wisdom. I couldn't help but think that our hands would fit together perfectly, or how I would easily be able to come up from behind and wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on the top of her head.

But there was something… off. Something that wasn't quite right. Her uncle seemed a little grouchy. The way his nostrils flared and anger flashed in his eyes when Annabeth held the door was unsettling. Or when I waved goodbye, how she flinched. I was going to figure out what was going on between her and her uncle.

Aside from that, I still walked home with a spring in my step. I was happy that Annabeth would be going to Goode this year. But there was one problem: every boy in the school would be after her. Including me.

I was deeply pondering this as I stepped into my apartment. I smelled something delicious… cookies. Blue cookies. I ran into the kitchen like a child and grabbed about six piping hot, blue chocolate chip cookies. "Hi, Mom!" I said happily, also noticing that Gabe wasn't here.

See, my mom married this guy, Gabe Ugliano, a while back. Don't ask why, because to this day I still have no idea. When I was little, I named him 'Smelly Gabe' because his stench was so bad. He reeked of cigarettes and alcohol. He treats me like a servant, and I swear he hits my mom behind my back.

My mom, Sally Jackson, is awesome. She's the nicest person I know. She owns a candy shop and always smells like the place. And did I mention the cookies? Colored with blue food dye, nice and soft out of the oven, loaded with warm, gooey chocolate chips. My mouth watered just thinking of them.

As I ate practically the rest of the tray, I filled in my mom about my day. I must've had this loopy smile on my face, because she said, "What's her name?"

"Who?" I asked my mom.

"The girl that you're thinking about. You always get this look in your eyes and this goofy smile. I haven't seen you like this since Rachel."

I winced as she mentioned Rachel. For a while, I semi-dated this girl, Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She was great. Carefree, funny, and easy to talk to. We never actually called ourselves a couple, but we shared feelings for each other. On my birthday, I did ask her out. She rejected me, and I was heartbroken.

_"I don't want to ruin our friendship if things don't work out,"_ she had said, _"Don't get me wrong, you're a great guy, Perce! I really want to stay friends. But a relationship… I really don't know. What happens when we break up or argue? We argue now, but this is different. It would completely ruin us. I'm sorry, Percy, but it just wouldn't work."_

I had known she was right. But that didn't change me from being upset. We remain friends to this day, and there's nothing awkward between us. But I still kind of like her. Then there's Annabeth…

"Um, just the people who moved in to the building next door. A girl and her uncle."

"Mmhmm," My mom's eyes sparkled. "And what's her name?"

"Annabeth," I said, my voice catching. I cleared my throat. "Her name is Annabeth Chase and her uncle is Jack something-or-other."

"Aw, sweetie!" My mom gushed. "I'd love to meet her! Why don't we bring over some cookies, as a welcoming gift?"

"Um, okay." I said.

My mom squealed and kissed me on the cheek. She can be… such a girl, sometimes.

We scooped some cookies onto a tray and covered them in Seran wrap. Then we headed out.

When we reached their door, we heard loud crashes and Annabeth's uncle's voice raised. We couldn't hear what he was saying, but he seemed mad.

I looked at my mom. She rocked back and forth on her feet, nervously tapping the end of the cookie tray she carried.

I rang the doorbell. There was a scuffle and her uncle whispered something to Annabeth. I heard someone bound up the stairs. The door was yanked open by her uncle.

"Hello, there," He said, all friendly. It must have been because my mom was here, because he seemed grouchy when I had talked to him. "Come on in! That yelling and crashing you heard, my niece dropped a few boxes. Nothing to worry about, it was just a heat of the moment thing when I was yelling at her." He flashed a winning smile.

"Ah," My mom said as we stepped into the apartment. "Well, we're in the building next door, across the alleyway. We were just bringing over some cookies as a welcome gift. I'm Sally Jackson. I believe you've already met my son, Percy."

"Yes, Percy!" He said. "I remember you from earlier, talking about a job! I'm Jack Wright, by the way." He stretched out his hand and my mom shook it.

At that moment, Annabeth came down the stairs. Again she took my breath away, even though she looked the same as earlier. My palms began to sweat as my breath caught. My heart was doing a decathlon, I'm sure.

I kept my cool, though. I smiled at her and she returned it, making me melt even more. She looked to my mom. "Are you Percy's mother?"

"Yes, I am. You must be Annabeth." My mom said, beaming. At least she didn't say something embarrassing.

"Yep, that's me. I talked with Percy earlier. Turns out, we'll both be attending Goode this year. He also said something about a job opening."

Jack nodded. "Come on, Ms. Jackson. You can bring those cookies out to the kitchen. We can let the kids chat."

They retreated to the kitchen, where they struck up a conversation. I followed Annabeth into the living room, where she plopped onto the couch. I sat on the floor next to it.

"So," I said. "What are your grades like?"

She blushed. "Um, I don't like to talk about it, but I get straight A's. Thing is, everyone thinks I'm just this know-it-all genius girl. But I have dyslexia and ADHD. I guess I just work extra hard to achieve things."

"Really?" I said. "My grades are horrible, and I have ADHD and dyslexia, too."

"I could tutor you," She said, immediately blushing after she said it. "Uh, I mean if you want. If your grades aren't so hot, I could help you out?" The last part came out like a question.

"That'd be great, thanks!" I said. She smiled.

"Your mom seems nice." Annabeth said, almost wistfully, watching the two adults chat in the kitchen.

"She is, she's amazing. But a little overprotective sometimes." I said.

"At least you have a mom. Mine left when I was a baby." She sighed.

"My dad did, too. But my mom remarried." I wrinkled my nose.

"I take it you don't like your stepfather?"

"I hate him," I said. I'm like his personal servant, and I think he hits my mom when I'm not around."

"Sexual abuse. A terrible thing." She sighed again.

"Yeah. I'm so against it. If any man tried to hurt a woman, I'd probably hunt him down and teach him a lesson." I flexed my arms as a joke. She laughed, and it was like music to my ears. She was holding something back, though.

"I'd like to see that." She said. She got a far off look in her eyes.

At that moment, my mom came out into the living room. "Percy, time to go, honey."

"Okay," I said, getting up to leave. "Bye, Annabeth." I held out my hand for her to shake, and she took it. However, her sleeve came up slightly. What I saw made my heart drop.

All up her arm were large, black and purple bruises. I gasped a little and she quickly pulled her arm back. She pulled down her sleeve and said, "Bye, Percy. Nice talking to you. I'll see you Monday, right?"

"Um, yeah," I said "See you."

My mom and I walked out the door; my last image was of Annabeth looking at her feet and pulling her sleeves down tighter, covering the bruises.

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**Hey! It's me, Rose, again! My partner wanted me to write the first few chapters, just so she could follow my example. So the next chapter, and possibly the one after, will be written by moi.**

**So, yeah. What did you think? I know the chapters are kind of short, but they'll hopefully get longer as the story progresses.**


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